


Sharing More Than One Horizon

by FunkyinFishnet



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Massage, Phone Calls & Telephones, Scars, Weddings, Workplace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-06
Updated: 2011-09-06
Packaged: 2017-10-23 11:42:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/249916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FunkyinFishnet/pseuds/FunkyinFishnet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ian Edgerton has made himself a place in Nikki's life. That's more than fine with her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sharing More Than One Horizon

**Author's Note:**

> The final section is a little AU for 6x16.

Nikki slammed the file down hard and gave the documents piled up on her desk an ugly look. She hated paperwork and she hated being stuck in the office. But Colby and David were chasing down suspects and Don was scoping out theories with his brother, so Nikki, on the lowest rung of the team ladder, was stuck with the job no one wanted - wading through receipts and phone records. She was gonna put time in at the gun range this weekend for sure.

 

She reached for her ringing phone like a lifeline.

 

“Betancourt.”

 

There was a staticy pause, like the white noise and wavy lines of a busted TV set. Then a voice.

 

“You willing to take a phone call from Tibet?”

 

She could hear Ian’s smirk. And she smirked back, at his voice, the whole thing. A phone call from Tibet. Not bad.

 

“I’ve got the time.”

 

Ian laughed. “I doubt it. I’m flattered.”

 

“What’re you doing in Tibet? Or is that classified information?”

 

“Tracking down a fugitive. Imagine the irony.” There was a fluster of noise, someone gabbled in the background and Ian replied in a sharp precise language that rolled fluently off his tongue. “You willing to take a longer call later?”

 

David and Colby were getting out of the elevator, looking agitated. Something was going down. At last. Nikki grinned and reached for her gun.

 

“No promises.”

 

“Stay low, Betancourt.”

 

*

 

“How’s Tibet?”

 

“Not great.” Ian sounded tired now. “I’m only a day behind my guy.”

 

“Sounds like a walk in the park for you. Losing your touch?”

 

“Maybe you’ll find out next time I’m in town.”

 

“Maybe I will.”

 

*

 

There was someone in her apartment. Nikki had a hand to her gun when the lounge lights flicked on. Ian Edgerton was sat on her couch, nursing a cold beer. His third, judging by the empties. They wouldn’t even make a dent.

 

The last time he'd been there was four months ago, and he'd sat in almost the exact same spot. He'd probably already stashed a pistol in the drawer by the window and tucked another behind her bathroom pipes. She put her gun back where it belonged.

 

“You beat your record?” She reached for the last capped beer and sat down. Dinner could wait.

 

“You might wanna talk to your super about a quality security upgrade.”

 

“There ain’t nothing here worth stealing.”

 

He’d know all about that - his bag was at his feet. He didn’t have any new scars, that she could see. The beer tasted damn good.

 

“Rough day.”

 

“Long,” she corrected, hand rubbing at the crick in her neck. “Trying to find the right connection that’ll prove Charlie’s theory.”

 

“And when Mr Math’s right?”

 

“We get some action.”

 

His fingers, cold from the bottle’s condensation, began working firmly at her knotted muscles. Nikki let him. There wasn’t much that Ian couldn’t do with his hands and he was putting them to real good use right now. She could feel his gun calluses and that one scar, white and old and never faded.

 

“Am I boring you, Betancourt?”

 

Her eyes opened, her lips falling into a lazy smirk. Ball was in her court again.

 

“I thought you were flattered?” Her eyebrow arched.

 

Ian’s hands felt like a caress. “I am.”

 

*

 

“So it’s the social event of the season coming up.”

 

“I’m guessing I don’t want to know how an invitation got to you.”

 

“You doubt the combined powers of Professor and Agent Epps?”

 

“I don’t make the same mistake twice.”

 

*

 

Nikki only got a glass of champagne long after the wedding ceremony was over. The foot chase and later arrest had gotten her, Colby, Liz, and David swapping out all day. Now the sun was setting, streaking color across the sky like crazy. It was going to look really good in the wedding pictures.

 

There was the barest exhalation behind her, a deliberate warning. Then Ian was beside her. His tie was undone as were the top buttons of his shirt. His jacket was missing and there was something about the way he walked that told Nikki he was wearing the ankle holster that chaffed. He’d gotten a glass of champagne too. Not his style, but he drank it like a pro.

 

“I’d go to more weddings if they were this interesting.”

 

Nikki laughed. They’d gotten the perp and Charlie and Amita had gotten married. No one could say they didn’t get results.

 

“You gotta be anywhere tomorrow?” she asked.

 

“Nowhere in particular.”

 

“That could change.”

 

Ian’s lips twitched. Nikki could feel his free hand stroking down her back until it eventually found the low-cut purple silk of her dress. He’d probably already worked out where she’d holstered her gun.

 

Colby and David were laughing somewhere behind them and Nikki could hear Charlie's colleagues talking - math that was starting to sound familiar. And there was Amita’s delicate profile, her hand linked with Charlie’s, ring to ring.

 

Nikki could conjure up Charlie’s theory for the whole day. _Think of it as……_

 

Ian's bag was probably already in Nikki’s car. There was the scent of celebratory champagne, wedding flowers, and perfume hanging heavy in the air. But instead Nikki was drawn to the gun oil, smoke, and sweat that was in there too.

 

There was a fresh cut on the side of Ian’s palm. It would soon start scabbing over.

 

 _-the end_


End file.
